Starting Over
by writercastle
Summary: After Molly Weasley's death, Ginny starts her life fresh. Living in California pretending to be a muggle. Can her friends knock her back into her senses before it's too late?
1. Life After Death

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Harry Potter or anything else JK Rowling has written.

**Author's notes:** Hey guys, this is just my short little snip mainly about Ginny. It's not going to be nearly as long as I'm in Gryffindor! Which, by the way, I would love reviews on. Lol. And, without further ado, I give you chapter one.

**Starting Over**

Life after Death

It had been three weeks since Harry Potter had done the impossible. He had finally defeated Lord Voldemort. Three weeks of celebrations, rounding up death eaters, and mourning for those lost in the final battle.

Harry Potter's life had never been better. Except there was one problem: The Weasley's.

Molly Weasley had always thought of Harry as another son. He had always thought of her as a mother. And now she was gone. Two months prior to the defeat of Voldemort, she was visiting an old friend in Hogsmeade, when Hogsmeade was ambushed by Death Eaters. They stormed through the village, setting things on fire, killing bystanders and destroying the village.

Molly Weasley went outside with her friend to see what the commotion was about and before she could pull out her wand and utter a curse, she was dead. Lucius Malfoy was standing outside the house, and when he saw her, he knew it was a perfect opportunity to hurt the Order of the Phoenix, destroy the Weasley family, and finally get his revenge on them.

The family was, as Malfoy had intended, torn apart. Nobody knew what to do with themselves. Utter chaos had formed around the Weasley family including Harry and Hermione.

It was a long, hard two months and nobody felt the pain worse than Ginerva Weasley. She now was stuck with a family of seven boys and herself. Sure, there was Fleur who Bill was married to, and Hermione who was like family, but it wasn't the same.

Ginny had taken it upon herself to fill the gap her mother's absence left. She moved back into her parents' house, having graduated from Hogwarts two years before and working as a Healer at St. Mungo's with Hermione, she had been sharing a flat with Hermione and next to Harry and Ron since the day she left Hogwarts. Now, Hermione was living alone in the small flat while Ginny moved back in with her dad.

She cleaned, cooked, kept the house looking as good as ever, and never once complained. Although with her father, it was a complete different story. While he did appreciate her company, he couldn't stand the thought of her giving up everything she had just to make his life more comfortable.

He had told her this so many times, but she just wouldn't listen.

"I just want everything to be normal again, Daddy." She protested, knowing in her mind nothing would ever be normal again.

Harry, Hermione, and Ron stopped by every day or two to help Ginny out around the house. They had given up trying to get her to come back home. They tried for the first two months and then after the last battle, which they all had fought in, they gave up.

They realized it was shock that caused Ginny to become what she was becoming. Her mother, who had always taken care of her and the rest of her family and many others at that, was gone. There was no getting over that.

After the war, and after losing so many more friends, Harry, Hermione and Ron were also in a state of shock, although none of them taking it nearly as hard as Ginny.

Ginny was no longer herself. She still worked full-time, and then went home to clean the house which now seemed empty only having two people living in it full-time. After her mother's death, St. Mungo's had given her a few weeks off in order to recuperate. She refused. The only day she took off was the day of the funeral.

Sleep had deprived her, she never got more than five hours a night, and that was on a really good night. Usually only getting two or three.

Every Sunday, the whole family would have brunch at the Burrow. Harry and Hermione, too, of course. Ginny would usually do all the cooking, occasionally allowing Hermione or Fleur to bring something. They would eat brunch and then spend the afternoon catching up on what was going on with their lives and if they were seeing anyone (Harry and Ginny had been so close to finally getting Ron and Hermione together before the accident), and anything else with them.

On this particular warm, summer afternoon, Harry grabbed Ginny by the arm and pulled her to the back yard of the house so that he could talk with her privately.

"Ginny," He said flatly. "I'm worry about you. It's been nearly three months since…well, you know, and you're still here or at work all the time. We never see you anymore except when we get the chance to visit here. You get skinnier and skinnier every time I see you and the bags under your eyes get darker. I know you haven't been sleeping or eating well, and well, I'm just worried about you." He finished, every bit of him showing that he was sincere.

Ginny smiled weakly. "I appreciate the concern, Harry, really, I do. But you don't have to worry about me. I'm just fine. I just don't want Dad to get all lonely in this big house. He'd be by himself."

"I know that's true, Gin, but I don't think that's the full truth. Your mum's death really tore you apart and, well, I think you should move back into Hermione's flat. Try to live the same. Your mum would have liked it that way. She'd be heart-broken if she knew that you gave up every thing. And…I miss you, Gin. I miss you a lot. It's not the same without you."

"I miss you too, Harry, but it's not as if I'm far away. You can apparate here any time. I'm still the same old me, I've just moved back home and picked up a few more chores."

"These 'chores' are going to tear you apart, Ginny. Please, just come back to your flat for a little while. We'll still have Sunday brunch's like usual."

"I'm sorry Harry, but I can't do that."

At that point, Ron poked his head through the door looking out at them.

"Oi, Harry, we going to play Wizard's Chess or what?" He asked, obviously not realizing the conversation they were having.

Sighing, Harry looked at Ginny's hard face and then over at Ron's confused-looking face. "I'll be there in a minute, mate." Ron went back inside.

Turning back to Ginny, Harry added, "Just think about it, alright, Gin? Please?"

"Alright, I'll think about it. But I can almost guarantee I'm going to stay here."

"Fine. Just as long as you think about it." And with that, he turned and walked towards the house, leaving her to stand in the back yard for another half an hour, thinking over what conversation she had just had.

Should she move back to her flat? Or should she stay here? Her dad needed her here. It wasn't because she couldn't get over her mother's death. That was nonsense. Or so she kept telling herself. Deep down, she knew what she was doing was tearing her apart along with her relationships.

She needed a fresh, new start.

That night, after everyone had left and she was cleaning up, her dad came into the kitchen, grabbing a towel and drying off the dishes she finished washing.

They just stood there silently washing and drying dishes for a few minutes before Arthur Weasley cleared his throat and looked down at her.

"I saw you and Harry talking out in the garden today. What were you talking about?"

"Oh, nothing important, really. Just another of their attempts to get me to move back in. I thought they had given up on that."

With a sigh, Mr. Weasley set down the dish and towel and sat down in a chair at the kitchen, motioning for her to do the same. Hesitantly, she followed his example, sitting down across the table from him.

"Harry's right, Ginny. It's time for you to move on. I'll be alright living here by myself. I'm a big boy. I can handle it. Besides, I've got six (excluding Percy who they still hadn't spoken to in a long time) wonderful kids who I know will be at my side at a moments notice. We'll still get together every Sunday for our family brunch and I'll visit you at St. Mungo's as well as your flat whenever you like. But you need to move out. I'm not taking no for an answer. Even if you don't move back in with Hermione and you do something else like…travel for a while or something, I just don't want you to dwell on this anymore. So, by Tuesday, I want you at. Is that clear young lady?" He finished; a twinkle in his eye.

"Dad, that's not fair! I like living here. I'm comfortable here. It has nothing to do with taking care of you or dwelling over mum, I promise." She said quickly, knowing she was lying.

"I don't care, sweetheart. We all just need to go back to the way things were."

"Fine." Ginny said looking thoroughly upset. "I'll think about what I want to do and where I want to go tonight. I'm going to go to bed. Goodnight Dad."

"G'night Ginny. I love you, you know that, right?"

"Yeah, I know." She gave him a kiss on the forehead and walked upstairs to her room, closing the door softly behind her.

She sat on her bed, thinking. She didn't want to go back to her flat. Things there would never be the same. She couldn't afford to keep a place on her own, though.

Traveling seemed like the best option.

_Yes,_ she thought to herself,_ traveling would be great. I always wanted to visit the America's. I heard there are lots of cute American boys…_she humored herself, knowing that she was still in love, and probably always would be, with Harry Potter.

It was settled. Tuesday morning, she would leave for America and travel around there for as long as she thought was necessary.

**Author's Notes:**

Okay, so what do you all think so far? I hope you like it. Reviews are loved!

Suggestions are always welcomed as well.


	2. California Life

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything you recognize. I can only dream…

**Starting Over**

**California Life**

It had been two years since Ginny left the burrow.

The morning after the conversation she had with her father, she packed up her things, said a quick goodbye to her family, Harry, and Hermione, and left. She figured she would be home within a few months, even weeks maybe.

She had no idea how much she would love America.

She spent the first three weeks of her new vacation touring around the East Coast of America. She found it interesting, but not quite exciting enough. Traveling through the middle of America, she found it even more boring. When she reached the West Coast, she knew she had found where she belonged. Starting at Oregon, she worked her way down, visiting all the major cities and finally stopping in Long Beach.

Her new home.

She had always loved the water. She would sneak out into the lake at school whenever she could, and go for a swim. Being surrounded by beach was her new paradise.

Before she knew it, a month had flown by. She realized that she needed to make a decision, and quickly.

Stay here or go home.

It was the hardest choice she had ever had to make. She knew what was waiting for her back home: friends, family, confusion. She knew she couldn't handle the confusion and drama going on, so she decided to stay. Just a little bit longer, she told herself.

But, she was running out of money. Fast. She needed a job and an actual place to live; not the smelly hotel room she'd been staying in.

When she was walking along her favorite beach one day, she found her destiny. A "Help Wanted" ad was placed in her front of her favorite little restaurant which she would eat at at least three times a week.

She quickly went inside and greeted the owner, who she had gotten to know quite well over the past month.

"Mr. Gonzalez," she said quickly, shaking the man's hand. "I couldn't help but notice the help wanted ad in the window. Is there anyway I could apply for a position?"

"For the last time, senorita, call me Ralph." He responded, heartily. "And you want a job here, eh? What about your family back home? Won't they want you back?"

Ginny had told Ralph nothing about her past except that she was on vacation here and would be returning soon to stay with her father once again because her mother had just passed away from cancer.

Ralph pitied the girl, but greatly enjoyed her company. He had introduced her to his employees whom she got to know as well, and he never made her pay.

"They won't miss me. Trust me. My dad is the one who wanted me to get away in the first place after my mum died. He'll be happy for me."

"Well, senorita, if you're sure…We'd love to have you working here. When can you start?"

"Immediately. And, do you happen to know of any girl looking for a roommate? I sort of need somewhere to stay."

"You asked at the right moment. Jessica moved to Oregon which is the reason we need new help in the first place; leaving Carolyn in need of a new roommate. And she lives right down the street from here. She's working right now; want me to go talk to her for you?"

"No thanks, Mr. – Ralph. I'll go talk to her myself. Thank you so much for the job!"

"No problem! You'll start tomorrow, eight o'clock, okay?"

"That sounds great. Thanks!"

She then went in the back room to find Carolyn. Spotting her in the kitchen, she approached her. She and Carolyn had always gotten along very well, so she didn't think there'd be any problem.

"Hey Carolyn!"

"Hey! Ginny! How are you?"

"I'm doing great. Actually, I just got a job here! I start tomorrow! I'm taking Jessica's place."

"Wow, that's awesome!" Carolyn said a smile plastering on her face. "Wait. Do you need somewhere to live? Jessica's gone now and I need someone to help pay rent!" She laughed.

"That's what I was just coming to talk to you about. I'd love to! When can I move in?"

"Anytime. I get off work in half an hour, I can stop by your hotel and help you move out if you'd like."

"That'd be great. I'll go right now and start getting all my things together. See you then!"

"Alright, bye."

Ginny immediately went home to straighten up her hotel room. She had always left the "Do Not Disturb" sign on her door so that no one could come in, and she had carelessly left a lot of her magic stuff lying around. She quickly grabbed her wand from her beside, and began to rummage through the room, finding anything that would be considered unnatural to someone who wasn't a witch. A cauldron, spell books, witches hat, and, of course, her broomstick. She gathered it all on top of her bed and with a flick of her wand, she vanished it all back into her room at the burrow.

She suddenly felt empty without her magic. All she had left was her wand, and she knew that she would have to store that away so that nothing would happen to it and suspicion wouldn't rise. Holding back a tear, she put the wand at the bottom of her suitcase and began packing all of her clothes on top of it.

Half an hour later, Carolyn drove up and knocked on the door.

"You ready?" She asked, poking her head inside.

"Just a second. I'm just making a quick last minute search to make sure I've got everything."

"Alright. Do you want me to go check you out at the front?"

"Would you? Oh, thanks! Here's my key."

She handed her a small brass key and Carolyn left.

Ginny quickly searched through the room one last time, gathered everything in her trunk, shut it, and walked out the door towards Carolyn's jeep.

Carolyn arrived a few minutes later.

"Alright, we're all set. You ready to go?"

"Yep, I just gotta load my stuff into your car."

They both worked together to load her trunk into the car, got in, and drove to their house.

When they got there, Ginny fell in love immediately. Just a short set of stairs down from the bottom of their apartment was the ocean. They couldn't have been closer. Inside, Ginny realized that Carolyn shared her same love for the ocean. The whole house was set up beach-style. From the wicker chairs to the surfing pictures on the wall, everything was about the beach.

Over the next three months, Ginny started to become more and more…well, muggle. She had a hard month at first, when she couldn't use magic, but soon after, she learned how to do everything the slower, non-magic way, and she loved it.

Soon, Ginny had completely forgotten about magic.

Carolyn asked her a lot of questions about her past, but Ginny was quick to make up answers. She said that she grew up going to a boarding school in Britain, her dad worked for an electronic store (he was obsessed enough with muggle electronics to _actually_ work for one) and her _mom_ (she was losing her accent pretty quickly) didn't work. She didn't really talk about her brothers much, except Fred, George, and Ron. She told her that Fred and George owned a regular joke shop, and they did a lot of magic tricks with cards and what not, and Ron was a year older than her and went to the same school she did. Harry and Hermione were only brought up on occasion. Harry, she admitted, was the boy she had dated in school and she would always love, and Hermione was her best friend.

Carolyn didn't press too much detail out of her, and it was a good thing. When Ginny said she didn't know what the strange box in her room that made moving pictures was, all Carolyn could do was laugh at the girl's curious face and feel bad, assuming her family to be quite poor. Poor enough to not know what most electronic devises were.

_Poor family,_ she thought,_ they probably couldn't afford the electricity bill!_

Over time, Ginny became quite proficient at working with electrical items such as the phone, TV, computer, and all the kitchen items. Her job at the diner was going amazingly. She couldn't believe how quickly she caught onto how to do everything.

_It's probably because I was at the burrow taking care of everyone for so long after mom died,_ she thought quietly to herself.

Ralph treated her like he was her own daughter. Whenever she thought she needed the day off, he would give it to her. She wasn't sure why he was being so nice to her, but she didn't object.

As spring turned into summer, just walking along the beach and putting her feet in the icy water wasn't good enough anymore. Ginny wanted to learn how to surf. Lucky for her, Carolyn and Ralph were both amazing surfers. She had watched them go out over the past week, catching every great wave and staying balanced.

They had offered to teach her how, but she just wanted to watch them before she tried herself. Finally, she got up the guts to try.

Early one morning, Ginny, Ralph, and Carolyn walked down to the beach, each of them carrying a surf board. Carolyn had multiple and had told Ginny she could use one of hers as much as she wanted.

Ginny caught onto the new sport very quickly. Ralph and Carolyn were great teachers. Soon, she was riding along with them, keeping up really well. Both Carolyn and Ralph were amazed. Not many people picked up on the sport that quickly! She was born to surf.

Ginny continued to wake up early at least four times a week with Carolyn and go surfing. Ralph would join them when he could, but most of the time he had to open the diner.

As June turned into July, Carolyn told her that their neighbors, the Petersons, would be moving. Both of them were so relieved. The Petersons were old and mean. They didn't like anything being too loud and when the girls got up early in the morning or stayed up late at night, the Petersons would sometimes phone the police. The police just laughed every time they arrived at the "scene of the crime", seeing that it was just Carolyn and Ginny out to surf again. They eventually stopped showing up all together.

"- Anyway," Carolyn continued, looking more and more anxious every second, "I saw the new people who were moving in. Two boys. Twenty years old. Gorgeous!"

Both girls squealed, jumped up and down, and ran towards the door, as if to check to see if they would be walking towards their door right at that moment.

Unfortunately, the Petersons weren't moving out until the next the day and the new boys weren't moving in until the next week.

Both girls waiting impatiently for their new neighbors to arrive. The day before they were supposed to move in, Carolyn thought it would be _nice_ to bring them a welcoming present. _Dinner, perhaps?_

They both walked over to the diner and went to the back looking for Ralph. When they spotted him, they both approached him slowly, flashing him their best puppy dog faces. Ralph merely laughed and asked them what they wanted.

"Well, we have some new neighbors moving in tomorrow, and we were wondering if maybe we could take some food from here over to them tomorrow. You know…as a welcome to the neighborhood gift." Carolyn said in one breath.

"I would be delighted to bring some food over to your new neighbors tomorrow."

"Oh…you…erm…okay." Carolyn said, not knowing what to say.

"I'm only joking, senoritas! Don't worry. Come by tomorrow at five and I'll have dinner for four all prepared." He said, winking at them.

"Thanks Ralph! We don't know what we'd do without you" Ginny said, wrapping her arms around him, Carolyn doing the same.

They both ran out of the diner, looking happier than ever. The next day was going to be great!

The next morning as soon as they heard the sound of a car approaching, they both shot out of the rooms and over to the kitchen, which is the best place to look through a window to the front of the house, and watched two boys exiting the car. Ginny nearly fainted at the sight of them.

"Oh my gosh! You were right! They're gorgeous! I call the one with the dark brown hair."

"Good. I like the blonde better. More muscles."

"Yeah, but mine has a more handsome face."

"Hmm, maybe. But what can we tell from this window? Ooh! The morning paper! I'll get it!"

"Oh no you don't!"

They both ran out front, forgetting that they were still wearing their pajamas, which consisted of a spaghetti strap shirt for each of them; Ginny's was blue and Carolyn's red, and a pair of mesh shorts; each of them were black. When they reached the paper, Carolyn managed to grab it first.

"Ha. I win. Now you may go back inside, defeated."

Ginny stuck her tongue out at Carolyn and glanced at the boys out of the corner of her eye.

They were watching them. With interest. They had each been in the middle of carrying a large box of something in, when they stopped to see what the commotion coming from the next door was. When they realized it was two girls, about their age, coming out in pajamas, all they could do was stop and stare.

This was going to be a good move for them, they both thought.

Carolyn whacked Ginny softly on the head with the paper before turning towards the boys.

"Oh, hi. Sorry you had to see that…I take you're our new neighbors?" She said, trying to sound like it was a completely natural thing for them both to rush for the paper.

"Um, yeah. I'm Jeff, and this is my buddy Sean. We're moving her from Los Angeles. Much better surf down here." The blond said with a grin.

"So you two like surfing, then?" Ginny said, looking at them, hopeful.

"Like it? We love it. We're nothing spectacular, but if there's a beach with waves, we're there." Sean said, smiling at Ginny.

Ginny felt herself blushing and turned towards Carolyn quickly.

"Since you two are just moving in, you probably could use a good meal. We'd love to get to know you guys. We could bring some dinner over and maybe show you around."

"That sounds great. We'd love to get to know the area. What time?"

"Say…5:30?"

"Cool. We'll be ready."

That night, at 5:30 precisely, Ginny and Carolyn were knocking on their new neighbor's door, carrying large platters of food.

"Hi" Jeff said, answering the door. Sean looked very upset that Jeff had gotten there first, Ginny noticed as she walked through the door.

"Here, let me get that for you." Sean said, taking Ginny's platter from her arms and setting it on the kitchen counter.

"Wow. This looks amazing." Jeff commented, also taking the platter and setting it on the counter.

Forty minutes later, they were all sitting back, finishing off their food, laughing, and conversing with each other.

Simply upon hearing his voice, Ginny melted into her chair, thinking about Sean.

She could tell Carolyn was thinking along the same lines.

They all loaded into Carolyn's jeep (Ginny was saving up her money so that she could buy a car as well) and went off to give the boys the grand tour of the area.

After driving them around for the next hour, they stopped at the diner to say hi to Ralph and introduce him to their new friends. Ralph was very polite to them and immediately treated them like he did the girls. They seemed to fit right in.

They walked down the line of shops, stopping at an ice cream parlor, the boys paying, of course. Soon, they were walking again, each licking a double-scoop cone of their favorite flavor of ice cream.

After another half hour of touring, Carolyn brought them all back to their street. Figuring that was enough for one night, each of the girls said goodbye to their new friends and went back into the house. They were both having giggling fits as soon as the door closed.

After that night, Ginny, Carolyn, Sean, and Jeff became inseparable.

They would go surfing together all the time and Sean and Jeff would stop by the diner to get a bite to eat when they were working. It seemed to be the perfect match.

Jeff was the first one to make a move. After about a month of their living next door, Jeff asked Carolyn to walk with him on the beach. She quickly accepted and when she came back two hours later, her face was glowing.

"He kissed me!" She screamed. "I have a boyfriend! An amazing, fantastic, adorable, gorgeous boyfriend!"

Ginny jumped up and down, squealing with her. Not even bothering to keep their voices down, even though the windows were open and the boys could hear them next door.

"So when are you going to make your move?" Jeff asked Sean consistently over the next few days.

"Soon, mate. Just give me some time. You know I never went as fast as you did. You always got all the ladies and I was always stuck alone. Well, I don't want to screw this one up."

"Well, you'd better hurry up before Ginny realizes there are better guys out there." Jeff said with a smile on his face, and hitting his friend's shoulder jokingly.

A few weeks later, Ginny was going through the same treatment of screaming about getting kissed and having a boyfriend.

Life seemed to be perfect. And it was for a little over a year.

Ginny and Sean slowly became steadier, as did Carolyn and Jeff, although, they moved faster than Ginny and Sean. Both seemed to have an unspoken agreement that they wanted to take things slow.

After a year of living in paradise, Ginny had everything she wanted: a perfect boyfriend, perfect roommate, a new car; a jeep, and a great job at the diner.

Life was perfect…until one day when Ralph asked her to stay after work.

"Alright, but I can't stay for too longer. I'm meeting Carolyn, Jeff, and Sean for dinner." She said with a smile.

"You may want to call them and tell them you probably won't be there."

"What? Why? What's going on, Ralph?"

"Sit down, senorita." He said slowly. As she sat down, he began pacing, and continued speaking. "It's about Hermione."

_What?_ Ginny thought, growing nervous. _How does he know anything about Hermione?_

"She's not doing well, Ginerva. The shock from you sending all of your belongings back home was hard for her. She started acting unusual after that. About two weeks ago, she fainted and has gone into a coma. Healers are working on her at St. Mungo's right now. She needs you, Ginny. Your whole family needs you."

"How…how do you know any of this?" She said slowly, wanting to scream and run out of the diner.

"I'm not exactly who you think I am. While I am the owner of this diner, and have been for quite a long time, I was put on another mission, by the Order of the Phoenix. I was sent to watch you and make sure you were alright. I'm a wizard, Ginerva."

That was the last thing she heard before she fell out of her chair and fainted.

**Author's Notes:**

Alright, what do we think?

Good…Bad?

**REVIEW!**

I enjoy your criticism. Please.

**I need reviews!**


	3. Run Away

**Disclaimer: **If you think I own Harry Potter, something is very wrong with you. AKA, I don't.

I apologize if there are a lot of spelling errors and things don't make sense. I was super tired when I wrote this!

**This is my shout out to Molly once again. She inspires me to write. I love her.**

And now, onto the fiction

**Starting Over**

**  
Run Away**

Ginny awoke to find herself on the couch in Ralph's office, Ralph himself sitting in the armchair in front of the couch, holding a glass of water. "Senorita, you're awake. Here, drink some water. I know that was a lot to give you at one time, and for that, I am sorry."

"What do you mean, Ralph? I had the weirdest dream that you told me that my friend was in a coma and you knew…my secret."

"I'm afraid that wasn't a dream. Hermione is in a coma and I am a wizard." He said, pushing the glass of water in her hands.

She sat up slowly. He was right, that was a lot of information to be given at once. Taking a sip of water and then swallowing hard as realization kicked in. She set the glass down on the table. "Wait. My father sent you to follow me, didn't he? Didn't trust that his daughter could take care of herself! I can't believe this!" She stood up and was about to walk out the door when Ralph forced her to sit back down on the couch.

"Now, before you go jumping to conclusions," he said once she was looking at him again, "just hear me out, okay?"

"I don't think I want to hear what you have to say" she responded coldly, looking down at her hands.

"You will once you've heard it. Now, let me take you back to when you first got here. I was the first one you opened up to about your family, even if a lot of it was untrue. I had heard the name Weasley and I knew when you said 'Harry' you were speaking of Harry Potter. I grew up in Spain and went to school there. But I graduated ten years ago. I know much about you-know-who and Harry Potter.

"So, after you left my diner one day, I sent an owl to your father telling him that it was a pleasure to have you visiting here. He wrote be back when he received the owl asking me to keep an eye on you from the Order of the Phoenix. I was curious the Order, having heard of it when I was young and always wanting to join. He told me that all the Order was doing now was rounding up death eaters and helping the Aurors at the Ministry. He offered me an honorary membership which I gratefully took.

"Anyways, so, your father and I talked every few weeks over these past two years, mainly by floo powder because sending an owl took much too long. And no, I was not spying on you, but I reported back to your father how you were doing and about you giving up magic and a bit about Carolyn and Sean. He's proud of you, Ginny, as am I. But he misses you. He wants you to come back, and even if you don't come back, to at least write to him or floor him."

Ginny had been sitting silently the whole time he was speaking, looking down at her hands. Finally, she looked up when she said, "And how are Harry and my brothers?"

"Your brothers and Harry are doing fine. They really miss you, though. Harry and Ron are suffering from a lot of stress right now, after what happened to you and then Hermione. They want you to come home. I have received one owl from Ron and one from Harry. Both telling me the same thing: Be careful, be safe, and write soon."

Ginny, at this point, was trying to hold back tears. "What have I done?" She wept into her hands. "I've destroyed everyone that I love simply because I needed to get away from my own problems and start over. I'm a selfish brat and because of it, I haven't seen or talked to them in two years! They'll never accept me back. Not now."

"Of course they will, Ginny. Didn't you hear what I just told you?"

"Oh, sure, they write that in a letter, but they don't really mean it."

"You'll never know that until you talk to them."

"I'll think about it." She said slowly rising. "I've got to get going though. Thanks for everything Ralph. I'll see you around."

He sighed as she walked out the door, knowing that when she said 'I'll see you around', she mean she was going to run away

And run away she did.

Harry Potter woke up early in the morning. He neck was stiff from sleeping in a chair. As his eyes came into focus around him, he saw that he was in a hospital room in St. Mungos. Hermione's stiff body was in the bed next to him. Ron was sitting next to him, large bags under his eyes. He looked like he hadn't slept in days, which was true. Since Hermione fell into her coma, the only time Ron left his chair was to use the bathroom, eat, and go home to shower and occasionally get a few hours of sleep in his own bed instead of the uncomfortable chair.

The ministry had given him as much time as he needed off from working as an auror. Harry was there as often as he could be but he still went to work because he was in the middle of training new recruits.

The rest of the Weasley family slipped in whenever they could, although none of them could get much time off work.

Harry stood up and stretched. He looked over at Ron who seemed to be in a sort of daze, half asleep, half awake. "You need to go home and get some sleep, mate, or you'll be in the bed next to her."

"At least then she wouldn't be alone." Ron responded, frowning. Sighing, he added, "Maybe you're right. Besides, I need to be awake and alert for when she wakes up."

Harry chuckled and patted his best friend on the back. "Which will be soon, mate. Don't worry. Go get some sleep. I'll let you know the moment anything happens."

"Thanks mate. I'll be back in a few hours." He said, stifling a yawn.

Ron gave Hermione's hand a quick squeeze before grabbing his jacket and walking out of the ward. Harry sat back down in his chair, yawning. Looking out his enchanted window, he saw an owl fly by. _Ginny_ he thought quietly to himself, wondering how she was doing. He had written his letter to Ralph Gonzalez the day Hermione went into her coma, but Hedwig had returned three days ago empty-handed, well, beaked, really. He had felt like his last chance of talking to her was gone.

Over the next few hours, a few healers came in to check on her condition which hadn't changed. Mr. Weasley also stopped by for about fifteen minutes to let Harry know that he still had received no reply from Ralph. This only dampened Harry's spirits further.

Harry pulled a piece of parchment and a quill out of his bag and began to write, this time specifically to Ginny.

_Dear Ginny,_

_Hey, it's been a long time_. He began, not sure what to say. _ A lot has happened since you've been away. Your dad got promoted at the Ministry. He's doing great at the burrow. He was able to get a house elf. He knew your mum would have loved that. I dated Hannah Abbot for a little while, but things didn't work out. Fred's getting married in a few months to Angelina Johnson and George to Katie Bell. Ron and Hermione are still, of course, pretending not to notice how in love with each other they are. But it's obvious now how much he cares about her. He's barely left her bedside since she got…sick._

_I really wish you would come home soon. You're really missed around here. But I'm not going to pressure you to come back. I know what you're going through. From what I hear, you're doing great. Sean seems like a great match for you and Carolyn a great roommate. I always knew you could make it on your own. I'm proud of you, Gin. I hope to hear from you soon and hopefully you can make it here for Fred and George's wedding. I miss you, Gin._

_Always yours,_

_Harry_

Harry finished the letter, stuffing it into his pocket, making a mental note to send it as soon as he got home.

Later that afternoon, Ron returned looking more awake, although still not his normal self. He came in silently, sitting next to Harry and taking Hermione's hand in his.

"Any change?" He asked, already know the answer.

"No. But soon. Don't worry." He stood up.

"Where're you going?" Ron asked him curiously.

"To America." Harry answered with even realizing what he had just said. "I mean…" he said slowly, not knowing where that came from.

"That's a brilliant idea, mate!" Ron exclaimed, standing up next to him. "Go bring Ginny home. She belongs here and you're miserable without her."

"What do you mean?" Harry asked, thinking he knew where this was going.

"It's obvious you're still in love with her, mate. It's time you brought her home."

"I'm not in love with her, Ron. She's like a little sister to me. We dated a long time ago and she's moved on since then. She has _Sean_ now." The way he said Sean's name made it clear to both of them that he was, in fact, not over Ginny.

"Bring her home, Harry. I'll explain to the Ministry where you went. We'll get someone else to train the new recruits."

Sighing, Harry stood up, knowing he couldn't argue with Ron.

"Alright. I'll go. But I can't guarantee anything, okay? And don't tell anyone where I went. I don't want to get their hopes up. Besides, we'll bring her in as a surprise if she does come. I'll go home and pack, get a few hours of sleep and leave in the morning."

Ron smiled and shook his hand, wished him luck and to make sure to bring his sister home soon. Harry nodded and departed.

He went to his house in Hogsmeade and packed some of his belongings.

Undressing, he got into bed, wanting to get a few hours of sleep first. As his mind shut down, preparing for a good nights sleep, all he could think of was Ginny. Her bright red hair…The smile she always flashed him when they were dating…The way her hot breath felt on his neck when they snuggled on the couch…How her lips felt when they were pressed against his. _Snap out of it, Potter!_ He scolded himself. _She's with another guy now. She's happy. She's safe. Something that she never was with you because of Voldemort…_

He woke up the next morning at dawn feeling well rested. He had dreamt the whole night about what it would be like to have Ginny in his arms again. He was disappointed when he woke up, realizing it was only a dream. He made a port key out of his old shoe and prepared to leave.

He had no idea what he was getting himself into.

**Author's Notes:**

Well…what do you think? Cute? Sad? Poor Sean? Yeah…I gotta figure out what to do with that one.

Suggestions are always welcome.

I need **_REVIEWS_**. I have like none! Help me!

Alright. Hope you liked it. I'm going to bed now. Goodnight.


	4. Decisions and Awakenings

**Authors Notes: I KNOW! I know…It's been _forever_. Please, don't hate me. I know I'm a terrible person and I'm sure none of you are ever going to want to read this again. But I'm going to try to pick up the story again. My life just got crazy for a while and writing wasn't one of my top priorities. I started this chapter about four times and lost it and I just got annoyed so I gave up. But here I am. I'm not dead. And hopefully I'll post more on here and I'm In Gryffindor. Which, if you aren't reading, you should because it's amazing. **

**There are going to be some changes to this story. I've gotten new ideas, so I'm going to be shooting the story at a new angle. It'll stay Drama/Romance, but there will be more to the plotline. So, here you are, the next chapter…**

**Disclaimer: I do not, of course, own anything Harry Potter related. Which, in this chapter, there's not much to do with it except a couple characters. Carolyn, Sean, and Jeff are all mine. **

**Starting Over**

**Chapter Four – Decisions and Awakenings**

The moment she arrived home, Ginny raced to her room. When she entered, she was out of breath and after a few moments, she realized she was still holding onto the doorknob, and she was leaning against the door. When she let go, the doorknob was wet with perspiration. Diving under her bed, she retrieved the large trunk she was living out of when she first arrived in California. She did not know where she was going to go or what she was going to do, but she knew she had to leave. She quickly went to her closet and pulled out the shirts and dresses hanging inside, not bothering to fold them, but simply tossing them carelessly into the trunk. She then moved onto her chest of drawers against the opposite wall. She dragged the trunk over and grabbed handfuls of clothes, shoving them in the trunk. More than once she had to shove everything down to make room. She had bought a lot more clothes than she had come with.

When she began to empty her last drawer, her undergarments, she grabbed the last handful and felt something hard and round in her hand. _Her wand._ She had forgotten that she had ever put it there. The moment she grabbed it, she felt a vibration in her hand and was unsure if it came from the wand itself or her body. She had the strong urge to cast a spell, but she knew she couldn't. She stopped long ago, cold turkey, and could not turn back now. Besides, magic was taking the easy way out of life. She had learned true life skills pretending to be a muggle. Why would she stop now?

Taking a camisole lying near the top of her trunk, she wrapped the wand tightly and placed it in her trunk, telling herself _you've gone this far, Ginny. You can't go back now. Don't give into it._ However, the wand would not leave her mind. With the wand, all the memories came flooding back to her. Fred and George with their shop, Ron still not telling Hermione how she felt, Hermione in a coma, Harry…oh, Harry…. And her mother. _No. You can't think about that. Stop it, Ginny. Pull yourself together._ She closed her trunk tightly and placed it next to the door. She would leave at first light. She knew she couldn't go tonight. It was too late and since she didn't know where she was going, it would be too dangerous to leave now. She would write a note for Carolyn and Sean. Sean. Just thinking of having to leave him brought tears to her eyes. Maybe she would tell him in person. No, that would be harder. She would never find the words to say it. She fell on her bed, still dressed in her work clothes, and closed her eyes, promising herself it would only be for a minute. Next thing she knew, she was dreaming. Dreams of Hermione lying in a bed in St. Mungo's, healers surrounding her; her mother telling her how disappointed she was for letting her down; Ralph telling her that he was a wizard; and Sean's reaction when he woke up to find the girl he loved gone.

She woke up at four thirty in the morning, sweat across her body. She sat up, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes, trying not to think about what she was going to do and her dream last night. The way her mother looked at her…the disappointment in her eyes. Ginny shuddered and stood, walking to her door, unlocking it, and entering the bathroom. She turned the water on scolding hot, removed her clothes and stepped in, feeling the heat radiating off her skin. Halfway through, she changed the temperature to freezing, feeling slightly dizzy at the sudden change in temperature coursing down her body. Turning off the water, she grabbed her towel, wrapping it tightly around herself and stepped out. Her skin had turned red, raw from the shower. It was on four forty-five in the morning, and despite her very little and uncomfortable sleep the previous night, she felt very awake and very alive.

Putting her hand to the mirror, she wiped off the steam that had gathered on it, making it clear so she could see herself. Looking at her reflection, she didn't know what she saw anymore. She definitely was not the young, helpless girl that she was all those years ago, being mind-controlled by Tom Riddle's Diary and in need of the great Harry Potter to save her. No. She was ready to save herself this time. She was older, stronger, wiser, and she knew she did not need anyone's help anymore. After all, she had survived these past two years. When she first arrived in America, she had no idea what she was doing or where she was going. Look at her now. She had a great life. _Of course, you're about to leave this life and start over new _again. She thought to herself bitterly.

Still wrapped in her towel, she walked into her room and sat down at her desk. Pulling a pad of paper and a pen from the drawer, she began to write her note to Carolyn.

_My Dearest Carolyn, _she began

_I don't really know how to explain where I'm going or why I'm leaving. Some things just came up, and, well, I just have to go. You've been the best friend I could ever ask for and it's harder than you can ever imagine saying goodbye. _ A few tear marks stained the paper at this point. _I promise that I'll write and keep in touch with you as often as I can. When I get settled, I'll tell you where I am. I don't plan to go far, just far enough to out of here. You see, I haven't been honest with you about something these past years. I can't explain it now, or ever, probably, but just know, I really wanted to tell you. I'm going to miss you more than you can imagine. I've left money for the rent for this month and next, until you're able to find a new roommate. But hey, you're a very likeable person and I know you'll be able to find someone to move in with you in no time. You've been like the sister I always wanted. I love you._

_Love always,_

_Ginny Weasley_

_P.S. Tell Jeff I said good-bye and that I'll miss him. Hey, maybe he can move in with you…Only joking. But no, seriously, consider it. Then again, that would put Sean out…Maybe that's not such a good idea._

Finishing her letter, Ginny wiped the last few tears from her eyes and sealed it in an envelope. She placed the letter on her desk and went to her bed. Making the bed look nice and neat, she placed the letter on her pillow. She moved to her trunk next, grabbing a simple tank top and some shorts and putting them on. She threw her towel back in the bathroom and sat at her desk again, looking at her watch. _Five fifteen_, she thought to herself,_ perfect. That'll give me enough time to write Sean a letter._

Pulling out the pad of paper and pen again, she sat down, thinking about what to write to him. Finally, as she wrote the first line (_Dear Sean,_ how original), a knock came at her door. _What the?_ She thought to herself. She wasn't expecting anyone. No one came over at this time unless they were going surfing, which they hadn't planned on. Walking to her door, she opened it a crack only to see Sean staring at her through the small opening.

"Ginny?" He asked quietly. "Are you ready to go?"

"Ready to go where?" She replied shakily, afraid that he knew of her plans to run away.

"Surfing. Ralph called last night and said that you had called and wanted to go this morning. I thought I'd walk down with you." He tried to push the door open a little more, but Ginny's weight was firmly holding it still. "Are you not dressed or something?"

"No…" She thought for a moment. Why would Ralph tell Sean that she wanted to go surfing? _He knew what I was planning and was trying to stop it, that's why._ Ginny thought bitterly to herself. _Great, now I've got to tell Sean in person. This is very difficult._ "Sean, come in here, we need to talk."

"Talk about what?" He asked slowly, afraid of what she might have to say. When she opened the door enough to let him in, he walked in carefully, looking around. The room was very…clean. Usually Ginny left at least a few articles of clothing on the floor. And she never made her bed. Looking at her desk, she saw the pad of paper with the pen placed upon it. Glancing at it, he saw the words _Dear Sean_ written. _Oh no…_He thought to himself. _She's breaking up with me. Here we go…._

She took his hands and set him in her desk seat while sat on the edge of her bed facing him.

"I'm leaving." She blurted out. Not exactly how she wanted him to find out, but it would have to do.

"Leaving?" He repeated, as if trying out the words on his tongue. Obviously he didn't like the taste because he had a strange look on his face. "Umm, okay…where? Why? For how long?"

"I don't know, I can't really explain, and, probably forever." She gave a sigh put her head in her hands.

"Ginny, what's going on here?" You just decided out of the blue that you were sick of living here and want to go home? Can't it wait a little longer? Please."

"I'm not going home. Anywhere but home. I can't really explain. I mean, I could, but words don't seem to come out very easily these days. I'm not going too far. Maybe Los Angeles or San Diego. But things are just getting too…well, confusing here. There are some complications that I can't really explain. But I want you to know that I am truly, deeply sorry and I care for you so much that it hurts."

"If you care for me, why are you leaving? Ginny, whatever it is, you can work it out. We'll work it out together. Let me come with you. I love you."

"What did you say?" They had both known that they loved each other for a long time, but neither of them had yet said it to the other.

"I said I love you. And I can't let you go. Not without a fight. I'm coming with you."

"No…Sean, no. You can't come with me. Everything you have is here. You can't leave Jeff or this town or your job. It's just not that simple."

"I can't leave Jeff this town or my job, but you can? You've got Carolyn, your job at the diner, and you love surfing. Where else are you going to find a secret spot like we have for surfing?"

"Look, it's complicated. I told you that. Please…don't make it harder than it already is."

"I just don't understand, Gin. Just talk to me." As soon as he said Gin, memories started flooding back. Harry always used that name on her. She thought of him which led to thinking of her family and Hermione which almost led her to tears again.

"I…can't. I'm sorry, Sean. I do love you, though." She stood up slowly and was about to grab her trunk and walk out of the door forever when Sean grabbed her hand.

"I'm not letting you go without a fight." He pulled her so close to him that she could count the freckles on his nose. She could see the desperation in his eyes and the need. He brought his head down to hers and pressed their lips together. Ginny didn't even try to resist. She kissed him back with more feeling than she even knew she had. When they finally separated, Sean would not let go. "I'm not letting you leave. Not without me."

"Fine." Was all Ginny could manage. _Besides,_ she thought to herself,_ it'd be nice to have him around. I'll never be able to find someone like him anywhere else._

Sean smiled and kissed her quickly once more. "Good. Give me an hour. I need to change out of my surfing clothes, take a quick shower and tell Jeff what I'm doing."

Ginny nodded in reply. She was short of words at the moment and did not know what to think or say anymore. She walked Sean out the door and the moment he was out, she closed it, and fell against it, sinking down to her knees. _What are you getting yourself into?_ She knew there was one place she had to go first. Without Sean. Standing up, she walked back into her room and opened her trunk. She grabbed the camisole with her wand wrapped in it and pulled out the wand slowly. She felt the familiar vibration coming from it. She thought clearly and carefully and closed her eyes.

When she opened them again, she was standing in the lobby of St. Mungo's. She gave a large sigh and headed toward the front desk. She knew the place very well after working there for two years. She only hoped that she wouldn't run into anyone that she recognized. _Good_ She thought to herself as she arrived at the front desk, _I don't know this woman._

"Excuse me; I'm here to visit Hermione Granger." Ginny said, trying to keep her voice steady.

The witch, chewing a piece of gum very obnoxiously, didn't even look up to her. Consulting a list in front of her, she smacked the gum one more time before telling her the floor and room number. Ginny thanked her and headed off towards the staircase.

Reaching her desired floor, Ginny walked down the long, familiar corridor and stopped when she reached Hermione's door. She took a deep breath and entered. _Thank goodness!_ _Empty._ She saw Hermione lying motionless in the bed at the end of the broom. Swallowing hard, she made her way to the bed. She stared at Hermione's lifeless body for a full five minutes before taking her hand and talking to her.

"Hey Hermione…" She said nervously. She was a firm believer that people in a coma could hear what people were saying to them and she had always encouraged people to speak to their sick loved ones as often as they could. "It's been a long time. I know, I know, that's my fault. And I know what you would say if you were awake right now 'Ginevra Molly Weasley! How dare you leave your family like this. It's been years now. They're worried sick about you!' Well, I agree. It has been a long time. But you don't understand! It's not easy for me either! I mean, I completely left everything I knew! I haven't even done magic for the past three years until a few minutes ago when I apparated. Let me tell you something, when you haven't done magic for that long, apparating is probably not the best choice of things to do first. I was so worried that I was going to splinch myself!" She chuckled softly at her own stupidity. "Anyways, Hermione, you have to wake up. Ron's probably going insane without you. We need you. I need you. Please, 'Mione, just wake up. I swear I'll never make fun of you or call you a bookworm know-it-all again." Ginny wasn't aware of the tears that were slowly sliding down her face. She squeezed her hand tightly and placed her head on Hermione's stomach. "I need you to wake up. I know I haven't seen you in a long time, but it's not easy trying to move on and knowing what's happened to you."

At that moment Ginny felt a small squeeze returned to her hand. She sat bolt up and saw Hermione's eyes flicker open and closed again. "'Mione? Are you awake?" Hermione was motionless again, but Ginny had sworn what she saw and felt was real. Hermione had woken up. Maybe just briefly, but that was the hope she needed. She smiled in relief, knowing that her coming back had probably awoken something subconsciously in Hermione's mind. Ginny stood up as the door opened. _Oh no!_ Ginny quickly ran to the curtain where another occupant would have their bed had their been one and hid in it. Ron was walking in slowly with coffee in his hand. He had obviously been visiting with her and had just left to get a drink when Ginny came in. _Wow, that was good timing_ she thought. But now she was stuck. She couldn't let Ron know she was there or he'd never let her leave. Or worse, he'd be angry with her. She thought quickly about how to make her escape when a small scream escaped from Ron's lips. At first he thought he'd seen her and that's what caused it, but when she peaked slightly, she saw that he was looking at Hermione's bed. Her eyes were open. _Oh…my…gosh…_Ginny almost said out loud. _I wasn't dreaming it. She really is awake!_ Ron ran out the door and started yelling for a healer to come quickly. Ginny took her chance and bolted out the door, heading the opposite direction, careful to keep her hair hidden.

When she made it to the lobby, she apparated back to her house, panting slightly. She couldn't believe what had just happened. What if Hermione knew she had been there and told Ron? She was slightly worried, but at the same time, she was relieved to have made it out of there without being caught.

Just as her breathing returned to normal and her heartbeat went down, Sean knocked on her door. She opened it to let him in. he was standing there, a suitcase on the porch, his face very solemn looking.

"Are you ready?" he asked, trying to make it seem like the answer to this question wasn't going to drastically change both of their lives forever.

"Yes." Ginny answered, trying to sound confident, but knowing that she was failing miserably. "Let's go."

Sean went into her room, grabbed her trunk, loaded it into her jeep before loading his own. He took the keys from her, insisting that he needed to drive because she looked too distracted. "You'll get us killed before we get anywhere!" She protested. She couldn't argue, so she handed him the keys.

"Well…that's everything. Let's go."

And with that, he started the engine, left the driveway, drove down the street, and out of Long Beach.

**Authors Notes: I know it wasn't the longest of chapters, but hey, it's an update nonetheless, is it not? Hopefully if I can get some good reviews I'll keep writing!**

**Please Read and Review, I'd love to hear what you think of it. Questions, comments, criticisms, good Harry Potter related jokes (sorry…history teachers favorite saying). Anyways, I hope you guys liked it.**

**Please, if you're not already, check out I'm in Gryffindor. It's a cute little Humor/Romance fic. Hermione/Draco. I know, I hate the idea of them together, but it's fun to write about.**

**Anyways, R&R. Thanks. I love you guys. You're amazing**


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